Bioinformatician (Computational Biologist)

Bioinformatician (Computational Biologist)

Location: PHO Corporate Office & Toronto Laboratory, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, ON

Department: Laboratory Information, BioComputing Centre

The Role:

To provide bioinformatics services and computational biology expertise to support clinical and research operations. This includes (in collaboration with the system admin analyst), the maintenance of computer hardware and software, databases (biological and other) and websites to facilitate current and new public health laboratory research and clinical activities and the conduct of research projects, sophisticated analyses and protocol evaluations.

Key Responsibilities-

• Provides bioinformatics/computational biology and related services in support of a range of database and bioinformatics projects and clinical activities lead by researchers, as directed by the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Scientist;  
• Provides DNA sequencing analysis and other services related to genomics and metagenomics
• Provides genome annotation analysis using public databases Writes and implements script as required in support of research and bioinformatics analysis; 
• Works with the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Scientist and the operations team  to respond to needs as requested  for the analysis of outbreak and other related data
• Working with Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Scientist and other team members, maintains and recommends improvements to scientific databases to meet the business needs of laboratory staff; 
• Writes reports, letters and other documentation to transfer knowledge concerning the technical and operational aspects of services being provided; 
• In collaboration with Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Scientist and other team members, writes and updates SOPs pertinent to the computational biology program;
• Maintains networks with counterparts in microbiology labs across Canada to facilitate collaborative efforts and sharing of data. 

Knowledge and Skills-

• Knowledge of and experience with algorithms and programs for DNA sequence analysis, gene prediction, genome annotation, identification of sequence polymorphisms. SNP analysis, and construction of phylogenetic trees, in consultation with medical and scientific staff, analysis of genome assembly and realignment,
• Knowledge of and implementation experience with use of relational databases of important biological sequence databases and database formats, and how to retrieve information from these databases  and skills in designing and implementing bioinformatics software programs, databases, web sites and data sets; 
• Experience, proficiency and knowledge in network administration; Unix/Linux operating system environments; programming/scripting in bioinformatics applications in Perl, Java, C/C++, Python and SQL;
• Knowledge of Laboratory Information Systems , their use and capabilities in support of bioinformatics work;     
• Experience and knowledge in design, implementation and maintenance of a high performance life sciences supercomputing environment and associated network topology including Unix based parallel computing clusters, large memory multiprocessor symmetric multiprocessing data processing servers.                                                                                                          

Education and Experience-

• Post-graduate degree in computer science and/or bioinformatics from an accredited university  with 2+ years of relevant experience.
• Specialized training in molecular biology, genetics, and/or microbiology and knowledge of biological disciplines including epidemiology, statistics in order to understand the applications and end use of related data.

Attributes and Competencies-

• Written communications skills to write technical reports, standard operating procedures and contributions to scientific manuscripts based on the analysis, interpretation and summary of complex scientific analyses;
• Oral communications skills to work with team colleagues in response to requests and analysis of data. 
• Oral communication and interpersonal skills maintain linkages with external laboratories to facilitate collaboration.

Duration: Contract (Fixed Term), 10 month(s)

Hours of Work: Full time, 36.25 hours per week

Compensation Group:Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario

Salary :$90,617.00 - $126,869.00

Posting Date: 04-23-2025

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Closing Date: 05-8-2025

Please note: applications will be received no later than 11:59pm on the date preceding the closing date as indicated on the Job Requisition.

Note: Internal candidates will be considered first.

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted.  Any information obtained during the course of recruitment will be used for employment recruitment purposes only, and not for any other purpose.

PHO is committed to ensuring equity in employment. Our goal is to create a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to ensure our services and communications are accessible to all individuals. Any candidate who requires a job posting in an alternative format may email a request to HR_Inquiries@oahpp.ca. Once an applicant has been selected for an interview, they can inform PHO about any accommodations they may require at any stage of the interview process.